Ionian Islands Soupies me Spanaki (Σουπιές με Σπανάκι)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •wide heavy casserole or saute pan with lid, 28-30cm
• •large salad spinner or colander for washing spinach

Instructions

1. 1

   Cut the cuttlefish

   Lay the cleaned cuttlefish on a board and cut the bodies into 3cm strips, leaving small tentacles whole and halving large ones. If you bought whole cuttlefish, have the fishmonger clean it, or remove the bone, beak, eyes, and ink sac gently. Rinse quickly and pat dry. Long rinsing washes away the clean sea taste.

2. 2

   Wash the greens

   Wash the spinach in two or three changes of cold water until no grit sinks to the bottom of the bowl. Drain it well, then tear very large leaves in half. Do not chop it fine. The spinach should fold into the pot in soft leaves, not disappear into green threads.

3. 3

   Soften the onions

   Warm 50ml of the olive oil in a wide heavy casserole over medium heat. Add the yellow onion, the white parts of the spring onions, and a pinch of the measured salt. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are sweet and glossy but not browned. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds.

4. 4

   Start the braise

   Add the cuttlefish and turn it through the oil and onions. It will release liquid first, then tighten. Let that liquid bubble until it is mostly gone and the oil shows again at the edges, 6 to 8 minutes. Pour in the wine and let it boil for 2 minutes, scraping up anything sweet caught on the bottom.

5. 5

   Cook until tender

   Stir in the tomato, tomato paste if using, bay leaf, black pepper, remaining salt, and 150ml of the hot water. Cover, lower the heat, and simmer gently for 35 to 50 minutes, until a piece of cuttlefish gives when pressed with a fork. If the pot dries before the cuttlefish softens, add a splash of hot water. Do not add the spinach yet.

   Cuttlefish has two tempers: first it tightens, then it relaxes. If it is still firm at 40 minutes, keep cooking gently. The spinach can wait.
6. 6

   Fold in spinach

   Only when the cuttlefish is tender, add the spinach in large handfuls, turning gently after each addition. Cover for 2 minutes to help it collapse, then uncover and simmer 10 to 12 minutes, until the greens are tender but still deep green and the sauce is glossy. This order is the whole dish: cuttlefish asks for time, spinach asks for restraint.

   If your spinach throws a lot of liquid, leave the lid off and let the sauce reduce until the oil shines at the edges.
7. 7

   Finish with dill

   Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the dill, the green parts of the spring onions, and the remaining 20ml olive oil. Taste for salt and pepper. Let the pot rest off the heat for 10 minutes so the oil and juices settle together.

8. 8

   Serve warm

   Serve warm, not boiling hot, with lemon wedges and country bread for the juices. Plain rice is also honest here, especially on a weeknight when the pot has to feed four people properly.

Chef Tips

• •Buy cuttlefish that smells clean and briny, never sharp. Fresh is beautiful in late winter and spring, but frozen cleaned cuttlefish is often what a Greek household buys on a weeknight. Thaw it slowly and pat it dry.
• •Spinach shrinks hard. 800g looks like too much and then behaves itself. Wash it well, because grit will ruin the pot faster than a missed herb.
• •This is Lenten food, but not vegetable-only nistisimo. Greek fasting has a long place for mollusks, and that distinction matters. For a plant-based table, make spanakorizo or prasorizo instead of pretending the cuttlefish is optional.

Advance Preparation

• •Frozen cleaned cuttlefish can be thawed overnight in the refrigerator; pat it very dry before it goes into the pot.
• •Wash and dry the spinach up to 1 day ahead, then keep it wrapped in a clean towel in the refrigerator.
• •The cuttlefish can be braised through step 5 up to 1 day ahead. Reheat it gently, then add the spinach and dill just before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 500g)